


Loyalty

by Yeh_and_Yah



Category: Fatal Fury, King of Fighters
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Non-Chronological, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:14:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28352256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yeh_and_Yah/pseuds/Yeh_and_Yah
Summary: Scattered scenes from day to day. Why he is loyal.
Relationships: GeesexBilly
Kudos: 4





	Loyalty

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Lealtad](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16635869) by [miauneko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miauneko/pseuds/miauneko). 



Rumors did not exaggerate in saying that Geese Howard was the owner of South Town.

Nor were they lying when they claimed that the businessman had achieved almost absolute control over the city through bribery, intimidation and violence.

This man had fomented immorality and corruption, it was true. Many people had lost their lives at his command.

But no one could deny that South Town had prospered thanks to Howard.

From the top of his skyscraper, through huge windows, this man had a habit of admiring the landscape offered by the city. For years, his tower had stood as the tallest structure in the district - named "Geese Tower" because, for him, the concept of humility was virtually non-existent - but, little by little, some ambitious real estate projects had begun to appear. Now, the landscape was dotted with metal cranes that marked the place where future buildings would rise. Geese regarded them with a slight interest. When one of those future buildings exceeded the height of his tower, that would mean that it was time to build a taller and even more imposing skyscraper.

But he was not in a hurry. The city was like an extensive board, where all the pieces were under his control.

The booming economy was not limited to those properties. The residents of the residential neighborhoods enjoyed a period of tranquility. Violence, drugs and crime were contained in specific areas, which residents sought to avoid. It was true that minor crimes still occurred occasionally, but no city in the world was free of that.

Thus, although the population knew that Howard's companies acted as a facade for what was actually a criminal organization, residents had no reason to raise their voices against their questionable methods. Rarely the quarrels among criminal gangs claimed the lives of innocents.

It was easy for ordinary people to ignore the shootings and wars between gangs. They didn't care if the criminals wanted to kill each other. They just pretended the slums and their inhabitants didn't exist.

By ensuring a quiet life for honest citizens, Geese had managed to rule over them as well. 

That had left him free to deal with the biggest problem: the other organizations and mafias that saw South Town as lawless territory, ready to be taken by the highest bidder.

Howard had spared no resources or tried to mitigate the violence. He destroyed the leaders of those rival groups as soon as they appeared and, for a few weeks, the inhabitants turned a blind eye to the brutal murders and the numerous bodies that appeared scattered throughout different parts of the city.

Although no one said it out loud, the population shared an opinion: in the hands of other mafias, South Town would once again plunge into chaos. They knew that Howard's goal was not to protect the city, but to defend his own position of power, but, if that was beneficial to everyone, why meddle?

The city had remained calm after the bodies of the criminals were buried. The homicide investigations were silenced by "reasonable" sums of money.

Organized crime was nothing without their leaders, and the spoils of those groups withdrew into the shadows, humiliated.

Howard was aware that eradicating them was definitely an impossible task, and, for strategic purposes, he offered some of the survivors to work for him. Some accepted. Others refused. Geese allowed the latter to remain in the city, as an  
example, so that other gangs would not forget what happened to those who rose up against him.

It was around that time that Billy Kane began working for Geese Howard.

Billy had been living in a building built on the grounds of one of Geese's properties, along with other young people who trained hard to become employees of any of the Howard company subsidiaries.

As one of the oldest prospects, Billy had a room on the third floor, all to himself.

The room consisted of a bunk bed whose upper part was unused, a light wooden table, a pair of matching chairs and a closet. There was an old radio in a corner. The bare white walls did not make the place a very cozy one. Billy had not bothered to decorate the room, because giving it a personal touch was like accepting the possibility that he would be living there for a long time, and that was not in his plans.  
But ... what were his plans exactly?

He trained hard because he wanted to get a good position among Howard business staff, to ensure a stable salary and be able to support his Lilly, his younger sister.

However, beyond that, his goals were uncertain.

Life as a subordinate of Geese had not been what he initially imagined, when the businessman rescued him from the streets of London, along with Lilly. In those early days, Billy had been divided between the reasonable and well-founded fear of having ended up in the hands of a cruel and depraved man, and the tentative hope of having found someone offering him a place by his side.

It had been two years since then, and Geese Howard had not turned out to be either.

Billy's fears had not come true, but neither had his hopes, or, at least, not in the way he had imagined.

Sometimes, alone in his room and exhausted by training that never seemed to satisfy his instructors, Billy would mock himself. What had he expected? Geese Howard was a busy man. The one who had picked him up from the street could mean a lot to Billy, but for Geese that had probably been a minor matter.

The businessman had personally taken care of him during the days they spent together in London. They had to wait for the forged documents that would allow Billy and Lilly to leave the country, and in the meantime, Geese had asked many questions and showed a sincere interest in him.

But things had changed when they arrived in South Town.

Geese explained the conditions under which Billy would work for him, and, after the young man accepted, because he had no choice, Geese left him in the hands of his secretaries and employees.

Weeks passed without Billy seeing him again. It caused a strange disappointment, but he preferred not to think about it. He had exactly what Geese had promised: a roof over his head, food, and the assurance that Lilly was safe. Despite the businessman's absence, Billy was grateful that he had kept his word.

From the window of his bedroom, Billy could see the entrance of Geese's house in the distance. In his spare time, he studied the routine of its inhabitants.

On some occasions, the businessman arrived in a limousine and remained in the house for a few hours. However, he didn't spend the nights there. Billy soon concluded that Geese did not live in that place.

During each of those visits, unable to avoid it, Billy wondered if perhaps the businessman would approach the rookie building, to ask about his progress. That silly illusion used to end in disappointment.

Although that was not always the case.

Geese always used to be busy, as if he was in a hurry to get somewhere else. It was clear that greeting people he picked up from the street was not a high priority on his busy schedule. Therefore, instead of holding a grudge, Billy appreciated every moment that Geese dedicated to him, even if they were only a few minutes a month.

For a while, Billy felt ashamed for being so naïve. The consideration Geese had shown towards him and Lilly in London had led him to think that, upon arriving in the United States, that would continue. It had been easy to get used to the intensity of that man, his air of superiority, his pale nuances of kindness.

By giving him almost uninterrupted attention, Geese had made him feel special.

But, since he was in the United States, Billy suspected that perhaps it had been a trick of the businessman. Geese had won his trust to the point of making him voluntarily leave the country. Billy had agreed, but, if he thought about it objectively, he was still a minor at that time, and what Geese had done could have been considered almost kidnapping.

It confused the young man a little. Why had Geese taken that trouble? What benefit would he get?

At the residence in South Town, Billy had stopped feeling special very quickly. There was a large group of skilled fighters with a skill level similar to his, and Billy was one more among them. He did not receive special treatment from the secretaries who supervised him, nor from the trainers who trained him, much less from Geese, who was absent for long weeks.

In the end, Billy realized that Geese had chosen him because he had recognized his potential.

It was up to him to show him how far he could go.

With that clear, Billy had taken pains to climb the ranks of the staff receiving the training. He had some disagreements with the instructors who insisted that he should stop using his bo and replace it with a more practical and destructive weapon. Billy initially refused, and the discussion stalled because the instructors informed him that none of them were able to teach advanced bojutsu techniques.

Billy had had to exercise with his bo alone, in the hours he had free, and the instructors focused on teaching him to use guns and other weapons that they considered more effective.

At first, Billy tried to convince some of his teammates to train with him, but he received lazy excuses and cold words in response. According to the other young fighters, it made no sense to learn to defend themselves from someone who used a staff as their main weapon, because no one in that city used that technique.

For Billy, that explanation had no logic, and he soon found out that the refusal to train with him had nothing to do with the technique he preferred.

The other young trainees were a little jealous because they had seen him exchange words with "Mr. Howard." They believed that Billy was trying to earn Geese's appreciation so he could climb positions more quickly. The fact that Geese himself had brought Billy from England didn't help either.

Billy hadn't bothered to explain how wrong they were. He didn't even get mad at them. That situation only corroborated something he already knew: it was useless to rely on others. he was alone. If he wanted to get something, he had to do it himself.

Thus, he continued training on his own. The extra physical effort left him exhausted, but he wasn't going to give up. His particular technique was what had caught Geese's attention in London. he was not going to give up bojutsu.

Luckily, Billy soon saw the results of his effort. He soon stopped being a simple apprentice, and was assigned to work at the Geese Tower, where he would help with miscellaneous tasks while learning about the management of the huge skyscraper, in preparation for a possible position in the security personnel.

That job had nothing to do with the struggles and clashes that Billy had been preparing for, but he didn't protest. Being in the Geese Tower was an opportunity to see Geese more frequently.

During those visits, the young man confirmed that Geese did not have a free second. Throughout the day, Geese monitored the activities of his companies, or attended meetings, or received businessmen from local and foreign businessmen, who looked important and influential. By late afternoon, when employees returned home, Billy sometimes checked the security cameras and confirmed that Geese was still in his office, sitting at his desk covered in papers.

"Aren't you tired?" he thought to himself, but he couldn't do more, because at that time he didn't have the level of permission necessary to enter Geese's office and ask that question personally.

However, that changed soon.

Since Billy was one of the youngest employees, the rest of the staff had no qualms about sending him to run errands. This had irritated the young man at first, but he soon noticed that the commissions had a common characteristic: for the most part, they meant going to Geese's private office to leave some document. Or interrupt a meeting to give him a message he couldn't wait for.

Billy was a little amused that the staff was so afraid of upsetting the boss with inopportune errands, and he didn't mind taking on the messenger job between the lower floors and Geese's office.

The businessman didn't scare him. The worst thing that could happen during those brief meetings was that Geese did not look up from whatever he was reading, and that he dismissed him with a distracted gesture of his hand, without realizing that it was he who was there. 

As things seemed to be going well, Billy enjoyed having something to do. His tasks were very simple, but they made him feel useful. He had begun to receive a tiny salary, and, despite the fact that all the money disappeared after paying for Lilly's support, the young man felt some satisfaction receiving a check every end of the month.

When he managed to separate some money for himself, he planned to go to the city to buy second-hand clothes to indulge a little. He was tired of wearing the black suit and tie that was the uniform of Geese's other employees. He needed to recover some individuality.

It was nice working to reach a goal, no matter how simple it was.

However, one morning, Billy found that not everyone was happy with his progress.

He noticed nothing strange when an assistant handed her an envelope with a file from one of the many areas of the company. The young woman did not act suspiciously when she indicated that he should give that envelope to Geese "ASAP".

Billy obeyed and took the elevator to head to his boss's office. The receptionist told him that Geese was in a meeting, and pointed to a large office with glass walls, whose shutters were closed. Billy went there and knocked on the door, surprised that there were no guards watching. Usually, some bodyguards would have tried to block his way, and Billy would have had to explain that he should deliver an urgent message.

"Maybe the meeting is over?"

Billy entered without waiting for an answer, and remained petrified on the threshold when a dozen heads turned to look at him.

There was a group of businessmen sitting at a large oval table, and the room was in darkness. Geese was standing at the head of the table, next to a projector that showed a bar graph on a white screen. Billy's entrance had interrupted him halfway through, and Geese's cold blue eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Billy sensed the tension in the environment. He noticed the looks of the other businessmen, their proud faces and their disdainful attitude. They seemed to consider this interruption as a grievance to their people.

"With permission," Billy said, ignoring the businessmen because he wasn't there for them. He closed the door without a sound and walked with easy steps towards Geese. The eyes of those men followed his each movement. There was a slight murmur and mocking condescending smiles. Billy felt a stab of annoyance.

"What're they all grinning about?"

"I didn't know you were also importing young boys, Howard," said an elderly, Southern-accented man in brown, with pale pink-stained skin. That was followed by a short awkward silence, and more whispers were heard around the table.

Billy frowned, knowing that this mockery was directed at him. Were they making fun of his age? Or because he was an inexperienced employee who had made the mistake of breaking into a meeting without permission?

Billy shot the man an annoyed look, and was about to respond in an extremely impertinent manner.

However, Geese spoke first:

"Billy, what is it?"

Billy controlled himself and showed the envelope in his hand. Geese made no gesture to take it.

The young man again perceived the tense atmosphere, and was surprised, because he usually did not feel uncomfortable in the presence of Geese.

Unlike the other employees, his treatment was a bit more casual, using no honorifics when speaking to him. 

He opened his mouth to respond. he knew it was enough to say a simple: "They send you this from Accounting." The envelope would change hands, and he could withdraw.

However, Billy saw the slight change in Geese's eyes. There was a silent warning, a slight threat.

Geese seemed to be telling him that he should mind his ways. The circumstances were not ones to be using an informal tone.

Billy was proud not to be subservient like the rest of the staff, but he had enough common sense to understand that this was not the right time or place to be rebellious.

An impertinent attitude would be poorly reflected in Geese. The last thing Billy wanted to do was damage his image in front of those entrepreneurs.

"Heather, from Accounting, sends you these documents, sir. Apparently this is an urgent matter," he said, using a neutral tone, but polite enough.

Geese watched him another second, then took the envelope and looked at its contents.

"I will review them. You can retire."

Billy nodded and then, to complement his polite employee performance, he bowed before retiring, taking a hand at stomach level, as he had seen European butlers do. It seemed to him that it took Geese by surprise, but he could be certain, because the businessman returned his attention to those present and apologized for the brief interruption with a cold professional smile.

Billy left the meeting room and sighed deeply after closing the door.

In the hallway, he saw one of Geese's personal secretaries approaching almost running. He was tall, bald, and wore dark glasses to match his immaculate black suit. Billy didn't know his real name, but everyone called him Ripper. In the days Billy had been working at the Geese Tower, Ripper had been his direct supervisor.

"What were you thinking, you brat?" Ripper asked, stopping short in front of him. Despite the dark tint of his glasses, Billy could tell that the secretary was upset, and that he was looking nervously at the door of the meeting room.

"What are you talking about?" asked Billy.

"You can't walk into Geese-sama's meetings that way! We had clear orders not to interrupt. Do you know how important it is for Geese-sama to close that agreement?"

"I had to deliver urgent documents," Billy explained. It was not an excuse. He just wanted Ripper to calm down, because the secretary was getting even more upset.

Ripper grabbed Billy by the lapels of his suit and dragged him away from the meeting room.

"There is nothing more urgent today than that agreement and everyone knows it!"

Billy remembered Geese's annoyed expression when he had entered the room.

"This can't happen again," Ripper ordered, running a hand over his head. "Today stay until after the departure time. You must apologize to Geese-sama."

Billy nodded, bewildered. Had it really been so serious?

He returned to the Accounting area, a bit annoyed with himself. He hoped he hadn't caused Geese trouble.

Upon exiting the elevator, he immediately noticed that the staff on that floor watched him, and then looked away abruptly. He saw mocking smiles and heard whispers of complicity.

The assistant who had given him the envelope approached with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Mr. Kane, I'm really sorry. I didn't know it was a joke ..."

Billy didn't hear her apologies. He studied the rest of the staff. Everyone seemed to be aware of what had happened. And they seemed to be enjoying it. As if they had been waiting for him to make that mistake.

Billy realized what had happened.

He had been sent to interrupt a meeting, to make him look bad in front of Geese.

It had been intentional.

As with his training partners, Billy's rapid progress had caused deep resentment among the Geese Tower staff. Former employees could not tolerate seeing a foreign boy climbing positions so quickly, and profiling himself to be a trusted employee of Mr. Howard.

They had succeeded in getting Billy to commit a transgression that, at best, should be punished with immediate dismissal.

Fortunately, the agreement was closed without major inconveniences, and Billy's interruption had no influence. 

Geese accepted his apology that night, in his private office.

The businessman watched the night landscape of the city in front of one of the windows, with his hands crossed behind his back. Successful businesses put him in a good mood, and, thanks to that, Billy got away with only a slight scolding.

Then, Geese informed him that the perpetrators of the "joke" had been located and fired for displaying such unacceptable behavior.

Surprised, Billy looked at him. The silhouette of his boss was defined against the myriad lights of the city he ruled. Geese kept his hands behind his back, his posture straight and regal, and he had turned to him.

When he saw him this way, Billy understood why people considered Geese an intimidating man. However, he could not feel self-conscious because the look in Geese's blue eyes softened when they were alone.

It was the look of the man who, years ago, had found him on the street and had given him the opportunity to lead a better life.

"The staff doesn't usually do this kind of thing. It is better to take measures so that something similar does not happen again," Geese explained, watching Billy. "What have you learned from all this?"

"That I shouldn't lower my guard? That I can't trust anyone?" Billy thought to himself.

However, he did not say that out loud. Without looking away from Geese's eyes, he shrugged and smiled, taking on a haughty air.

"If they're jealous, it's because I'm doing things right," he said firmly.

Geese's lips twisted into a pleased smile.

That night, alone in his room, Billy reflected on how wrong his coworkers were. They had no reason to envy him. Being able to talk occasionally with Geese Howard did not imply that there was a favoritism that would result in an immediate ascent. Billy still had to strain and wear himself out training, like everyone else. He had to work hard, acquire skills in which he was not very interested, but which were important for Geese's business.

It was not his fault that the rest of the employees did not live up to what Geese needed.

A few months after Billy turned eighteen, his instructor informed him that the time had come for him to show if he was fit to start being part of Geese's security entourage. If he passed the test, he would be assigned a somewhat crucial accompaniment position, so that he could learn firsthand the way the bodyguards worked.

Since Billy was young, he would have plenty of time to perfect himself.

"If you don't die in the process, of course," the instructor scoffed, though without evil in his voice.

Billy received a sealed envelope containing specific instructions, as well as the place and time of the test. He had a week to prepare. On the night of the seventh day, he had to appear on the roof of the Geese Tower. He was free to choose the weapon he would carry. He didn't need to dress formally that night. The important thing was that he could fight using his full potential.

That was the opportunity Billy had been waiting for. Finally, he could prove that Geese had not been wrong in considering that he had potential. And, above that, he wanted his boss to see that he could pay off his debt by doing something more useful than taking papers to his office.

For six days, Billy told himself that he was not nervous, and that if he checked his bo obsessively every night it was because he was being cautious and nothing more.

He had spent years perfecting that staff and was finally satisfied with the result. The hard red-stained wood could be divided into three sections, joined together by a chain that ran from end to end inside. The metal provided an absent solidity in conventional wooden weapons, and the three mobile sections offered a versatility that would take anyone who faced it off guard.

Billy had learned to master that weapon by training alone, and was eager to test his techniques against a flesh and blood opponent.

He trusted his ability and his bo. And he knew that he was fighting much better now than years ago.

When the night of the seventh day arrived, Billy changed his formal suit for a gray T-shirt, faded light blue jeans, and black leather boots.

Bo in hand, he took the elevator that would take him to the top of the skyscraper.

It was still early, but he wanted to evaluate the terrain. He didn't want to fail the test because he accidentally tripped over a broken pipe or tile.

It was the first time he received authorization to go up there.

The elevator doors opened and Billy concluded that he had made a mistake on the floor, because in front of him was a roofed hall, built with red wood, whose decoration looked like something from an Asian movie.

He reached out to press the button on the right floor, and was surprised to see that he had actually reached the top floor.

Stunning, Billy got out of the elevator, and the thick wooden planks creaked beneath him.

"What the hell ..."

He had expected the roof to be identical to that of the buildings surrounding the skyscraper: cement, with permanently operational ventilation equipment, pipes, and perhaps a pair of antennas. In his mind, the floor and walls were stained by sun and rain.

However, he was in a magnificent hall similar to the oriental temples he had once seen on television. The enclosure was oval-shaped, and the central area was completely clear, revealing a huge ideogram drawn with black paint.

Thick red columns rose to regular spaces. Between each one, Billy saw long dragons painted green and gold, multi-arm Buddhas with frightening expressions and poses, and solid golden braziers, which were lit and gave off an aromatic smoke.

The edge of the skyscraper had been delimited with a red railing, and the ornate decoration contrasted sharply with the landscape of the modern city that stretched around the tower.

For a moment, Billy forgot why he was there. He walked among the Buddhas and dragons, noting that none was identical to another. He was perplexed to see a short arch bridge that led to a garden imitation where tall bamboo stalks grew.

"What is all this?" he thought. The eastern paraphernalia made him think of an amusement park. He smiled in amusement when he noticed a US flag waving in front of the bamboos.

He kept moving forward and reached some clearer wooden steps leading to an elevated platform. He was startled to see a figure on the platform, with his back to him.

Billy rebuked himself for being distracted by the set.

Frowning, he climbed the stairs slowly and got the wood to not creak.

The figure was dressed in a strange way. He wore a white suit and red pants, so wide that they almost seemed to be a long skirt. A black belt fitted his waist. At that moment, the figure watched the landscape of the city with its back straight and arms crossed.

Billy realized two things simultaneously.

That was the person to whom he had to demonstrate his abilities.

Yes: That person was Geese Howard.

Approaching slowly, the young man admired his boss. Although Geese was turning his back, it was unmistakable. Billy had seen him spend long minutes watching the city from the viewpoint of his office in that same position, as if, instead of being an entrepreneur, he was an emperor admiring a conquered territory.

Billy approached slowly, and Geese turned his face toward him, looking him up and down with his cold blue eyes. He looked satisfied.

"You arrived early," said Geese.

Billy nodded and stopped beside him, also looking at him, especially his clothes.

"Why is he dressed like this?" he asked inwardly, suppressing a smile. He could recognize that this suit was an oriental uniform, but Geese shouldn't have a drop of Asian blood in his veins. His carefully combed blond hair and blue eyes disagreed greatly with the suit.

But it didn't look bad at all.

Unable to stop looking, Billy frowned when he noticed a long horizontal scar on the businessman's chest. Immediately, he felt a surge of discomfort. How had he suffered that wound? Because of the size of the scar, it had certainly been serious. Who had hurt him? Why hadn't his bodyguards avoided it?

Billy looked up and met Geese's gaze fixed on him. He wanted to ask about the scar, but Geese seemed to tell him silently that it was not the time.

"Since you're here, let's start. Show me what you can do, ” said the man without further ado, smiling at him with a strange menacing air.

Geese gestured toward the center of the room, and Billy nodded and they both headed there.

Billy held his bo with more force, and took a deep breath in an effort to focus.

He had become distracted by the scenery, and then he was surprised to find Geese there, and now he couldn't stop thinking about the scar he had seen, and how little he knew about Geese.

He had to clear his mind, focus on the confrontation.

However, Geese made that task difficult, because the businessman was showing a side of him that Billy had not seen until then.

Billy wanted to absorb every detail, so he could know it better.

he had heard in advance that Geese Howard knew how to fight, but he had no idea of his skill level.

He didn't want to judge him, but ... if he was surrounded by bodyguards, maybe that meant it wasn't very good? Or was an average fighter?

"Are there are rules? Or should I just beat you?" asked the young man, looking at Geese sideways. He felt slightly restless. He didn't want to overdo his attacks and hurt him.

"Beat me?" Geese repeated in a slow voice and a smile that was still threatening. It seemed slightly amused. "You will fight until I am satisfied," he explained.

Billy looked at his bo, doubtful. He usually enjoyed a good fight, but having to hit his boss to get a better job was extremely contradictory.

Geese sensed his confusion.

"Don't hold back," he ordered, as if he had read his mind. They stopped in the center of the compound, on the gigantic kanji drawn on the ground. "If you don't fight with all your strength, you will fail the test immediately."

"I get it."

"Come on, then ."

Billy felt a shudder upon hearing his boss's inviting tone. He wielded his bo, but did not attack. Contrary to what he expected, Geese did not throw himself at him. The businessman had stood still in his place, his hands clenched into fists, and his expression had changed. Although he was still smiling, his eyes were icy. 

Billy frowned. His instinct told him that he was in danger, that he should get away as soon as possible.

The person before him was not who he thought he knew.

And it was not an illusion caused by the oriental atmosphere of that room, or by Geese's strange attire. There was also something different in the environment. As if Geese emitted a different aura.

When Geese stood guard, the fire in the braziers crackled and the shadows of the enclosure shook and lengthened.

"What is this ...?" thought Billy, perplexed.

Geese gestured with his hand to attack, and that was an invitation and a challenge at the same time.

Billy obeyed. His first blows with the bo were quick, but light, and Geese turned them aside effortlessly with the palm of his hand, almost without the need to move.

"He has good reflexes ..."

Billy took a few steps to the left and launched a side strike with his staff that was easily deflected, just as he expected. Taking advantage of the distraction, he moved into the opening he had created and kicked.

This was diverted by a dry and painful blow of Geese's hand. The businessman smiled.

Billy clenched his teeth and attacked again. Geese was skilled enough. Apparently, he didn't have to worry about hurting his boss.

"Much better," said Geese when the speed of Billy's attacks began to increase.

The young man ignored the slightly mocking tone. He continued his attacks, from afar with his staff, and throwing a punch or kick when he could get close enough to Geese.

Soon, Billy found himself making a real effort to hit the businessman. After all, he was there to show Geese that he knew how to fight. He could not afford to show insufficient performance out of consideration for him.

With a growl, Billy raised the bo over his head and put all his strength into a blow that, while not elegant, at least he had to break Geese's defense.

The wood hit the businessman's forearm and Billy saw him narrow his eyes in pain.

In the next instant, Billy felt the man's fist sink into his stomach, and involuntarily his body bent forward.

He fell to the ground, panting because the blow had been so strong that it cut his breath. Geese approached and Billy had just time to step aside, before Geese stomped on the ground, which seemed to shake due to the violence of that impact.

Leaning on the bo, Billy looked at Geese, completely surprised. He was strong. Much more than Billy had expected.

Geese attacked again, without giving him time to catch his breath. It was Billy's turn to block and dodge. Some of Geese's blows touched him, but they didn't hit.

Billy took every opportunity to counterattack, and soon found himself plunged into that fight, attacking and evading, rolling on the ground and trying to take Geese off guard from unexpected angles.

At first, it hadn't seemed like Geese was fast. The entrepreneur's technique was measured and calculated. There were pauses between each sequence of strokes. He did not make hasty attacks.

However, Billy saw with some fascination that he was wrong. Geese was fast, as well as strong. When the end of the bo was about to hit him, Geese moved aside at the last second. If Billy tried to make him lose his foot with a low sweep, the businessman simply backed away and gave some ground.

Geese made use of that agility effortlessly.

And his counterattacks were worth admiring as well. Billy was alert with all his senses, because he knew he shouldn't let another one of those punches send him to the ground. He had a strong feeling that his boss had restrained himself by hitting him the first time, and that that consideration was not going to be repeated.

Since Billy no longer had to worry about hurting him, the fight flowed smoothly. The young man felt his heart pounding every time his eyes met Geese's, because the businessman seemed to be enjoying that encounter.

However, something worried Billy.

That was a test.

And the fight was lengthening and he was not getting a victory.

He did not want Geese to inform him that he had failed.

His attacks became a little more frantic after that thought crossed his mind. The bo became a blurry red spot due to the speed of his attacks. Geese backed away a few meters to put some distance between them, but Billy didn't let him get away. He had to win that fight no matter how it took place.

He didn't know how many minutes he spent like this, panting and perspiration on his forehead. However, no matter how hard he tried, Geese made use of his incredible reflexes and was always one step ahead of him.

And, although Geese seemed to be having fun, Billy knew it wasn't enough. He needed a clean victory.

The young man had studied Geese's movements from the beginning. He had recognized some patterns and certain repetitive behaviors. Like the fact that Geese dodged the blows of his bo making the minimum necessary effort, aware of its limited range.

The businessman seemed not to know that Billy still had a trick up his sleeve.

The opportunity Billy expected was not long in coming. He used his most basic movement, one that Geese had dodged dozens of times during the match. He threw a blow with the bo towards the man's face, and, when Geese simply threw his head back slightly to get out of range of the weapon, Billy allowed the staff to split into three. The chain that linked the sections was extended with an audible metallic sound.

There was a flash of surprise in Geese's eyes when he realized what was happening, and, although the businessman managed to make his face to the side to avoid the blow, the end of the bo touched his cheek, cutting his skin .

Billy didn't have time to enjoy that "achievement." Geese watched him with a cold calm and uttered a word in a foreign language.

A wave of a bright and disembodied bluish color emerged from Geese's hands and crawled across the ground at dizzying speed in Billy's direction.

The young man shouted when he felt the contact of that energy with his body, which hit him with the force of a moving vehicle and sent him fired back.

The blow to the ground was violent, and the bo escaped from his hands and rolled away from his reach.

Billy tried to get up, but his body did not respond. The world swayed from side to side before his eyes. He felt a tingle in his arms, as if he had received a shock. His limbs weighed.

What had that incredible power been?

Geese approached him slowly. His bare feet resonated in the wood of the floor.

Billy looked up. It was hard to focus the view. He thought he saw a thread of blood on the man's cheek. He tried to move away before the next attack came, but was in deep dizziness.

He closed his eyes for a moment, waiting for it to happen.

And he felt a hand on his shoulder, holding it gently. Geese had knelt beside him and looked pleased.

The heat of his fingers was noticeable even through the fabric of his shirt. Billy seemed to perceive a trace of the energy that had hit him, although he wasn't sure if he was imagining things.

The contact was nice, but it made him tense a little.

He looked at the wound he had caused on Geese's face. It was only a light touch that would heal in a few days, nothing serious.

He wondered if he should apologize.

"You did well," Geese said then, pressing lightly. "Better than I expected."

Billy noticed a pleasant lightness in his chest when he heard those words, even though he felt he had been defeated.

Geese pulled away and got up, and Billy imitated him with slightly unstable movements. The young man went to pick up his weapon, and his steps were shaky.

As the ecstasy of the fight vanished, Billy began to be aware of everything that had happened. He noticed the tension of his tired muscles, and the pain in his back because of the last fall. Looking at his bo, he saw that the wood was slightly splintered in some areas, the peeling paint due to the violence of the blows he had thrown.

Overwhelmed, Billy shook the gun so that the sections rejoined.

Geese was waiting for him by the elevator doors. The businessman had been looking at his bo, but made no comment.

Upon entering the elevator, Geese noticed the blood on his cheek in the reflection of the mirror walls, and wiped the red thread with the tip of a finger. He made a sound that could have been a laugh.

Billy looked at his own reflection. His short blond hair was wet and messy. His skin looked bright due to sweat. Next to Geese, his body looked like a teenager's.

The elevator stopped a few seconds later. The doors opened on a floor where Billy had never been. He saw a room before them, in front of windows that overlooked the city. There were pictures on the walls, and vases with intricate designs on the bedside tables. The furniture did not look like an office. The decor was too personal.

Geese kept the doors open.

"I expect a lot from you, Billy," he said, looking at the young man with a satisfied air. "You exceeded my expectations. I hope you don't disappoint me in the future."

"I won't," Billy replied immediately.

Geese nodded, pleased.

"Tomorrow you can take the day off. Then you will start working for me full time."

"Thank you."

"Give my regards to your sister."

Billy smiled, because Geese had guessed that he would take advantage of the day off to visit Lilly.

Geese pressed the button on the first floor and left the elevator. Billy looked at him regretfully. he still had many questions that he wanted to ask.

As if he had perceived his thoughts, the businessman turned to him.

"Go rest. We will have time to talk later."

"Yes, sir," said Billy.

The doors closed without a sound. 

On his first day at work, Billy arrived at the Geese Tower feeling impatient.

Ripper and Hopper, Geese's secretaries, had gone to look for him personally, and they had gone all the way giving him directions on how to perform his new duties.

Part of the recommendations were important, especially those referring to his participation in Geese's security escort: Billy shouldn't be separated from him at any time, but, being a rookie, he wouldn't have important responsibilities for a while. He had to watch his classmates and learn. Your orders would be received on the fly.

However, the rest of the way, the secretaries harassed him with irrelevant details, such as the tone Billy should use when talking with the boss's guests, or the posture he should show when standing, or the side of the table that he should approach in the case he had to help serve drinks, and so on.

Above all, Hopper insisted that Billy should in no way call Geese by name. He must use "sir," or "Mr. Howard," and show due respect. Another option was to add a "sama" when using Geese's name.

Billy smiled as he remembered the explanation of that foreign suffix. Apparently, Geese had studied martial arts in Japan and China, and from there came his fascination with oriental customs. Using the suffix "sama" implied an admiration or respect that was well above a simple "sir." Billy had heard several employees refer to Geese like that with all the naturalness of the world.

"Geese-sama," he tried to say in his mind, and stifled a slight laugh. That foreign word felt strange.

But it didn't sound bad at all.

He remembered Geese in the eastern hall at the top of the skyscraper, dressed in his white and red suit (which, he now knew, was called "hakama"). The feeling was similar. A cultural shock that somehow went well with that man.

The secretaries had also indicated that he should dress appropriately. His tie could not be crooked, the collar of his shirt should be buttoned, and his shoes shined to perfection. They had even suggested that he paint his bo black, because the red color caught his attention too much, but Billy had refused. Geese didn't seem bothered by the color at all.

As soon as he set foot in the lobby of the building, he realized that several eyes were directed at him.

With a slight sigh, Billy touched the knot of his tie to make sure it was in place. However, people kept looking at him.

In the elevator, standing shoulder to shoulder with Ripper, Hopper and other employees, Billy saw the looks and the awkward silence.

In the lobby of the floor where Geese's office was located, the secretaries stopped abruptly to observe him. A young woman handed him his new credentials, which gave him free access to the entire skyscraper. She seemed to want to get away from Billy as soon as possible.

"Is something wrong?" asked Billy.

"N-no, sir," the young woman stammered, and withdrew with quick steps.

"What the hell?"

What was all that? Were they planning en masse how to get rid of him?

"I don't feel very welcome," he said sarcastically to no one in particular.

"It's because everyone has heard that you hit Geese-sama," Ripper explained in a neutral voice.

"On his orders," Billy said defensively.

"Nobody hits Geese-sama."

"Orders," Billy repeated, giving the bald secretary an irritated look.

"I don't mean that," said Ripper, slightly impatient.

"The staff stares at you because they're shocked that you have attended your first day at work," Hopper intervened in a soothing voice.

"Why wouldn't I? Speak up, ” Billy demanded.

"New security employees usually present a medical leave and are absent the first few days."

"Why?"

"Multiple concussions and some fractures," Hopper explained, keeping his tone neutral.

Billy thought Hopper was joking, but the secretary's serious face told him it wasn't.

"You made a good impression on the boss. Maybe you have a future," Ripper added, opening the door to the main office.

The young man entered and heard the door close behind him. Ripper and Hopper remained outside the door.

Billy moved through the large carpeted office. Geese Howard was sitting at his desk, with the chair slightly tilted, holding an open newspaper in one hand. As he was in profile, Billy saw the reddish mark on his cheek. It was mild, but clear.

Geese put the newspaper aside and gave him a long appreciative look.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, Billy hesitated before greeting him.

The day before, he and Lilly had had a fun time reading about Eastern customs, since Geese seemed to like it so much. Billy had seen some employees bow, and had made his sister laugh with his first awkward attempts.

Although he was half-joking, Billy concluded that he liked those oriental customs that implied respect.

Billy had been reluctant to behave excessively formally before Geese, as Ripper and Hopper demanded. He did not like the pathetic servility shown by many of the people who worked for the businessman.

However, he also had no reason to show insubordination.

Geese was a man of his word, who had fulfilled every offer and every promise. Although he was in a position far above what Billy could ever achieve, from the beginning he had treated him as a person, and not as a dirty orphan picked up on a London street.

Billy had received contempt from his training partners and some employees, but from the man who had every right to feel superior to him, he had only received fair treatment, and a sincere interest in him, and in what he could do.

And Billy had seen Geese rule that city, and had proven that he was not a charlatan. Geese was able to make people fulfill their will by any means, even if they were not entirely honest. Billy had admired his tactical mind and his strategies to keep South Town under his control. He had seen him fight and had experienced in his own flesh that strange power that Geese could invoke.

Respect for Geese was something he wasn't ashamed to prove.

"Geese-sama," he said, along with a bow as a greeting.

He hoped he was doing well.

Looking up, Geese kept watching him. The slight initial surprise of the businessman became a shadow of a pleased smile.

Billy decided that surprising him was pleasant.

And so, his first day of work began. 

**Author's Note:**

> And so, this concludes chapter one of the English translation. I hope many of you will have the same wonderment and joy we experienced while reading this beautiful creation. Hang in there, please! The story is only beginning...
> 
> (As this is a translation by those who do not know Spanish, please forgive any errors and adjustments will be made! ^^Uuu)
> 
> Chapters 2 and 3 will be posted sometime soon. 
> 
> ~ Yeh and Yah, English version co-authors


End file.
